Thanks again for all your phone calls, emails, cards, prayers…. I appreciate it more than you know!
We met with the surgeon and loved her! She spent over two hours with us basically teaching us about breast cancer from start to finish and answering all our questions. I have stage 1, grade 2 (which means the cancer has began to spread but is slow moving) invasive ductal carcinoma. The surgeon said it is not in situ, which means it is not contained as I was originally informed by my GP. I will have surgery in 2 to 3 weeks, will have a complete pet scan done of the full body to see if there is cancer anywhere else in the body, and a gene test for breast cancer since it is on both sides of the family (hopefully I haven’s passed it on to my girls!!). A lymph node test under the arm will be done to see if the cancer has spread at the time of surgical removal of the lump, which is 1.5 cm in size at this time. Due to my age and size of tumor I will take medication to stop my estrogen since my tumor is feeing off my hormones which will send me into menopause. The surgeon is recommending chemo and radiation but I will be referred to an oncologist who will make the final recommendation there.
I continue to trust the Lord through this. He is in complete control which gives me an amazing feeling of peace! I am excited to see how Jesus will work through this and what He will teach me. I will continue to update through email. And again I appreciate all your prayers, love and concern. I am so very blessed!!
Love,
Kelly
Feb 4, 2011
We met with my medical oncologist Dr. Rupa Subramanian (Dr. Rupa) yesterday who we really liked! She will be the oncologist I will spend most of my time with since she will be doing all the follow up appointments – doing my blood marker checks in the future and running any scans if necessary. Dr. Rupa discussed my options for after surgery – hormonal treatment, radiation and chemo. I will definitely have hormonal treatment since the cancer is estrogen and progesterone positive which means it is feeding off my hormones but I will only be in menopause for 2 years - yeah!
My surgery is scheduled for next Friday the 11th at 1:30 at Tri City Hospital
About a week after surgery I will meet with Dr. Rupa to look over the pathology results and at that time we will again discuss my cancer (stage, grade, etc) and the need for chemo which 85% of patients end up having so there is a high chance I will need it (keeping my fingers crossed I am in the 15 percentileJ). If I do end up having chemo, it will be four months of treatment where I will go a total of 8 times every other week for 3 ½ to 4 hours at a time.
There is also additional testing to be done besides the pet scan and BRCA test (breast cancer gene test), I will also have a bone scan since breast cancer has been known to travel to the bone and a heart scan to be sure the heart is functioning normal when and if I have chemo. I will also be meeting with my radiation oncologist Dr. Mary Ann Rose in a few weeks to discuss radiation at length. Like Shawn said, this is like having a full time job!
You have all been so incredibly thoughtful with your phone calls, emails and cards which I appreciate deeply! God has blessed me immensely by surrounding me with a group of friends and family who continually uplift me with prayer and support. I can’t thank you all enough for that!! God is almighty and powerful – I continue to rest in His arms daily knowing He is in complete control.
Love and blessings,
KellyJ
Feb 18, 2011
Shawn and I went to see my surgeon yesterday because of some bleeding I was concerned about. We ended spending some time in the office with her, so the appt turned out to be more like my post op appt which was such a blessing (I didn’t have to wait and see her on the 25th when my post op was originally scheduled)! The bleeding was from the port of the drainage tube due to a blood clot forming so Dr. Toosie cleaned out the blood clot and changed bandages on the port as well as the one under my arm. She did take off all the other bandages on my breasts and the scarring isn’t that bad – pretty clean lines. I will continue to wear the drainage tube until my next follow up on the 25th. Since I did have a slight fever this week I will be on antibiotics for five days just to be safe and protect me from any infection that may occur. Overall I am healing well from surgery. Taking it easy and enjoying the yummy dinners, flowers, balloons, phone calls, emails, cards and visits. My right arm is still sore when I move it and do the exercises but it is manageable and gets better as each day passes.
We went over my pathology report. I guess she ended up taking a total of 18 nodes to be checked for cancer (we were a bit confused because Shawn and I both remember clearly that she told us she took out a total of four – one being positive for cancer while the other three were being tested and we would find out the results in the next week). Anyway, good news is that the other 17 nodes tested negative for cancer. Praise Jesus!! The pathology report wasn’t clear if the margins were negative or not so Dr. Toosie will talk with the pathologist to get some clarity. When a surgeon goes in to take out the tumor they also take out surrounding breast tissue that is checked under a microscope by the pathologist for cancer cells. If that tissue is clear of cancer cells then it is considered to have negative margins. With that said, there is a chance that if the margins come back positive then Dr. Toosie may have to do another surgery on my breast to get the remaining breast tissue to achieve negative margins. We should find out by next week. We want negative margins not positive margins. J The link below nicely explains margins in breast cancer. Don’t you just love the internet!!
We meet with my medical oncologist Dr. Subramanian on Wed the 23rd to discuss treatment options and medications I will be taking during my treatment which will begin after I am completely healed from my surgery which is will be probably in the next 2 to 4 weeks. Both my surgeon and my medical oncologist will discuss me in detail (diagnosis, treatment, medications, pathology report, etc) during their tumor conference on Tues. Also on Wed is my bone scan which is done to see if there is any cancer hiding out in my bones.
I continue to treasure and be blessed by all your prayers, support, help, encouragement and love! Thank you (do I sound like a broken record yet? J)! I also continue to fix my eyes on Jesus – my Strength and Shepherd during this storm and rest in His healing and loving arms. As I was doing my devotional this morning I read the following verse which ministered so much to me and my hope is it will do the same to you: Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” Until the next update…. J
Love,
Kelly
March 1, 2011
First of all I just want to say our God rocks!! Shawn and I met with my oncologist yesterday and received great news. Both my bone scan and PET scan came back clear, and my result for the breast cancer genetic testing was negative. We were so relieved and overjoyed! Once again God reveals His awesome sovereignty and faithfulness! J
When we discussed if my margins were negative or not Dr. Subramanian said more than likely there are still a few cancer cells there and highly recommended a complete mastectomy on the right breast to take out those microscopic cancer cells and also to be sure the cancer does not come back. Since I am having a mastectomy I will not need radiation. Yeah!!
I will have the surgery before I start chemo which is scheduled to start on Tuesday March 22nd (could be pushed back a week or so depending on when I go in for surgery) and I will go every other week for a total of 8 times. My surgeon Dr. Toosie is out of the office this week and when she returns we will schedule the surgery which should be within the next few weeks. I have my heart scan scheduled for Friday March 11th which is done to be sure my heart is healthy for chemo and I will be getting my port put in sometime this next week which is how the oncologist nurse will administer the chemo into my body. Once chemo is done I will have reconstructive surgery and begin hormone therapy.
As we continue this journey, Jesus never ceases to amaze me with His faithfulness to answer prayer, His incredible protection, and never-ending care and love. I am so very thankful for my Jesus who is clearly holding me in His strong yet tender and healing arms which continues to bring me great peace and comfort. All your support, prayers, help, love and encouragement means more to me than I could even begin to try to put into words even though I try at times.J Thank you!!!!!!
Much Love & Blessings,
Kelly
March 21, 2011
I hope you are all doing well and enjoyed your weekend! I know it’s been awhile since my last update and boy has it been one emotional roller coaster….
Since my last update I have had my chemo class where I learned about what specific chemo drugs I will be given, what to expect during my chemo treatments, the side effects of chemo, how to take care of myself during chemo so I don’t get sick or an infection, etc. I had my port-a-cath (which is how the nurses with administer my chemo drugs) put in which has been placed under my skin on the left side of my upper chest a few inches below my collar bone and a catheter connects the port to one of my veins. The procedure was like a mini-surgery. I was sedated but not “put to sleep”. It took the doctor about 45 mins to put the port in and then I was in recovery for about an hour. I have healed fast and the bump isn’t too noticeable – less then an inch in size. I also had my heart scan to be sure my heart is healthy for me to have chemo.
As I had stated in my last update my oncologist Dr. Subramanian had recommended I have a mastectomy due to some microscopic cancer cells still in my breast tissue. She said I would have the surgery before I started chemo to where that could delay my chemo a week or two from the original date of March 22nd.
Unfortunately things did not move as quickly as we thought due to my surgeon Dr. Toosie being out of the office for over a week and then playing catch up when she returned. I had to call her office numerous times and after about a week of making phone calls I finally received a personal call from Dr. Toosie last Monday night apologizing for not getting back to me. I told her what Dr. Subramanian had said and Dr. Toosie agreed that I should have the mastectomy. She went on to say she could more than likely do the surgery on Wed March 30th but unfortunately no sooner because she would need to check with Tri City hospital to make arrangements and in the meantime she would submit a referral for me to meet with the cosmetic surgeon Dr. Batra (who she highly recommended) for a consult. Dr. Batra’s role would be to put in a tissue expander after Dr. Toosie is done with the mastectomy so I would not be lopsided. J He would also do the reconstructive surgery after I was done with chemo. We ended our phone call with Dr. Toosie telling me that I would hear from her surgery scheduler this week to confirm the surgery date. I got off the phone feeling relieved and finally at peace thanking Jesus I had finally heard from her. I had been so anxious not being able to get a hold of her, knowing we needed to schedule my surgery as soon as possible because I needed to start chemo soon and not delay it too long. I was also happy that I would not have to start chemo on the 22nd and I would have a few more weeks of being chemo free. J Later that night I did some research on Dr. Batra and I was very impressed with what I found. He is the founder of Coast Plastic Surgeons and has been part of media plastic surgery discussions on Oprah and segments of ABC News.
Well I did not hear from Dr. Toosie’s surgery scheduler all week and so I finally called her on Friday the 18th. She told me that we were still waiting on the authorization to see Dr. Batra and that I would need to see him first for a consult before scheduling the mastectomy. I told her that Dr. Toosie and I had discussed having the surgery on the 30th. She said she would let Dr. Toosie know I called and get back with me. In the meantime I called Dr. Subramanian’s medical assistant Gina to let her know what was going on and to confirm postponing my chemo until after surgery since initially I was to start this coming Tuesday the 22nd. Gina sounded concerned and said she would text Dr. Subramanian.
About 30 minutes later I received a phone call personally from Dr. Subramanian. She recommended that I start chemo as soon as possible and wait to have the mastectomy after I finish all my chemo treatments for a number of reasons – 1) my surgery was not confirmed yet for the 30th, 2) we were not sure yet if Dr. Batra or even one of his colleagues were available on the 30th for surgery, 3) it had been over a month since my last surgery and 4) since my cancer had spread to my first lymph node she did not want to delay my chemo any longer. Also if there was any infection or complication from the mascetamy which could delay my chemo. When she was telling me this I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. My stomach not only hurt but my heart started racing with anxiety. I had not mentally prepared myself to start chemo so soon. In my head I had everything so neatly planned out and had known I had some time before I would start chemo. To be honest, I was scared to start chemo and wanted to delay it as much as possible but I knew what she was saying was so right. She told me to think about it, talk with Shawn and call her on Monday.
After we hung up, I quietly passed Shawn and Kyle who were talking in the kitchen and the girls who were playing in the front room and went upstairs to our room. I closed the door, sat down and cried. I was feeling so overwhelmed, scared, mad, and anxious – mad that things weren’t going as I had planned out so in my head, overwhelmed because of all I wanted to do before I started chemo (cleaning, shopping for wigs, cutting my hair, getting my nails done – no mani/pedis during chemo, plans with friends & family that may not happen because I will be going through chemo), scared and anxious about going through chemo (the side effects, losing my hair). Shawn came upstairs and I told him through tears what I was feeling and thinking. His eyes welled up with tears as we talked and he understood how I was feeling and told me it will be alright. He said he would be there with me and for me every step of the way. He was scared too but that God was with us and will help us through this.
We talked some more, cried some more, and I started to feel better. I knew Dr. Subramanian had my best interest at heart, she was the professional and knew best. Also the sooner I start chemo the sooner I would finish. I knew that many people go through chemo and get through it just fine. And most importantly I knew that my Jesus would be by my side every step of the way – He would give me the strength and courage to get through chemo. I wanted to have control over the situation but I knew I needed to surrender it all to Jesus who would take care of me as He has been from the very beginning. I could feel His sweet and tender nudge saying “Kelly Cast all your cares on me because I care for you”. 1 Peter 5:7. After I took sometime to get myself together, talked to Jesus and talked with a dear friend, I went downstairs to have a small b-day celebration for Kyle’s 17th birthday.
Since I knew I should start chemo soon, I thought maybe I could just start on Tues the 22nd as I was initially scheduled to. I texted Dr. Subramanian to let her know what I was thinking and she texted back saying sure I could start on Tues. She would check with her office staff and nurses on Monday to be sure they could start me on Tuesday. She told me to call her on Monday to confirm, which I plan to do today! After all that I was so emotionally spent I went to bed early that night but was at peace knowing I was resting in Jesus’ loving, caring arms.
Yesterday I went to get my hair cut which was pretty difficult. I got teary eyed when I was talking with the hairdresser and looking through pictures to get an idea of what style I wanted. I am getting used to my new look though and it’s definitely easier to manage. Karyssa did say I looked like a boy but Samantha told me I looked like a girl but just had short hair. J Out of the mouths of babes – right?! Today my mom and I are going shopping for wigs. I think I will get two that are pretty similar to my normal hair style. I do have some friends that have offered some fun ones they have which I may borrow…. J
Well that’s all folks – for now! Thank you for taking the time to read my mini novel. J This is very therapeutic for me! I continue to be encouraged and uplifted by all your prayers, love, support, cards, gifts and concern! I am so truly blessed – thank you!!!!
Resting in Jesus,
Kelly
March 31.2011
Well I survived my first chemo – Praise Jesus! It actually wasn’t a bad experience at all. When we walked into the medical facility last Tuesday morning the 22nd Shawn jokingly said we were walking into Hotel de Chemo – the facility was really nice, modern and spa like. The nurses were very sweet and the infusion room was comfortable. It was spacious with lots of comfortable seating not only for the patients but their visitors. The room had a lot of windows so the view was great. They even had a little snack area with coffee, juice, water and snacks. We were there for about 4 ½ hours and the time surprisingly flew by. Shawn and I spent time together talking, talked with the nurses and other patients, played with our phones, made some calls, sent out texts and emails.
As I have mentioned before I will have a total of 8 chemo treatments. For the first four treatments I will be given two chemo drugs Adriamycin and Cytoxan and the last four treatments only one drug Taxol. With that said, when I arrived last Tuesday for my first treatment after my blood count was checked I was hooked up to an IV bag that dripped the Cytoxan through a tube directly into my port. Along with the Cytoxan, anti-nausea medication was in a second IV bag dripping through a tube directly into my port. After the Cytoxan was gone, my oncologist nurse administered the Adriamycin by hand which means she slowly pushed it out of a larger tube in her hand through the tube connected to my port.
I went back the day after (which I will do after every chemo treatment) on Wednesday the 23rd for a hydration flush which is where I was hooked up again via my port to a bag of water which went into my body to flush out my system. I was there for about 2 hours and again the time flew by. The hydration flush helps me feel better – keeps those nasty chemo side effects away or at least minimizes then. J My mom and a friend spent time with me there which great! I also went in everyday for six days in a row (including the weekend J) for a quick neupogen shot which helps keep my white blood cell count up to avoid a risk of infection or getting sick. I will do this too after every chemo treatment. I know it sounds like a lot but it’s not too bad. I can go to the Vista treatment center (I go to the Encinitas center for my chemo treatments – much nicer facility) for the shots so it’s close by and only take minutes to get the shot. The shot can cause flu like symptoms and bone ache but I haven’t really had any symptoms just a little lower back pain when I would bend over but it didn’t last too long.
Overall I have been feeling pretty good. For about 3-4 days after chemo I had a mild queasy feeling in my stomach but nothing too bad to where I was vomiting or couldn’t get out of bed. I was pretty tired though for the first week (I had to take it easy, take naps, go to bed early and pace myself which is difficult for a busy body like meJ) but yesterday I felt pretty much back to normal – kind of bummed that I have to go back Tuesday for my next chemo treatment. Oh well it is what it is and now I have one treatment down and 7 to go (as my lovely husband reminded me – he’s my cheerleader J). Yummy dinner from friends, beautiful flowers, sweet cards and emails, and thoughtful phone calls/voice messages helped me get through the week too.
Tuesday I had an appt with my oncologist and she joked with me asking if I was really going through chemo because I was doing so well. What can I say – prayer is powerful and God is almighty!! She said I may feel a little worse with my next chemo treatment but because I did so well with my first it may not be too bad. When the nurse checked my blood count on Tuesday the results were very good (the neupogen shots worked! J).
Unfortunately my girls have been fighting colds this week (as of today Samantha is much better but Karyssa seems worse than yesterday) so please pray that I don’t catch their colds (if I get sick my body can’t fight off the infection like a normal healthy person and it could delay my chemo). So far so good – lots of hand-washing and using hand sanitizer is helping. Its tough at bedtime because I can’t snuggle with them like I usually do and it’s been tough for them to understand especially Karyssa (she’s our little snuggler).
I will leave you all with one of my favorite bible passages that I read the other day in my devotional that I keep close to my heart:
Philippians 4: 6 & 7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Thank you all for your continual thoughts and prayers!
Love & Blessings,
Kelly
April 15, 2011
Second chemo down six to go – woo hoo! Today I am doing pretty well but last week and weekend were pretty rough. This second chemo treatment hit me like of ton of bricks. I wasn’t expecting it because I had done pretty well with my first one (could me being a hopeless optimist have something to do with it?J).
Last week started with my hair slowly falling out. It wasn’t falling out in clumps but enough strands at a time to notice and become annoying. Tuesday the 5th was my second chemo treatment and the experience was good. I just love the treatment center, nurses and Shawn being with me. Makes such a big difference! By the end of my chemo treatment I was feeling a bit weak, light headed and a bit queasy. I had snacked throughout the morning but was ready to eat some lunch. Shawn and I ate lunch on our way home and I still was not feeling too well. Let’s just say it was a rough night. I was pretty sick up until the next morning which I felt much better just really tired. However the next morning (Thursday) I woke up feeling like I had a really bad hangover. I couldn’t focus or concentrate on anything (even American Idol one of my favorite shows J). The feeling subsided as the day progressed to where I was even able to take Samantha to her soccer game and Karyssa to her dance class.
Since my hair had started falling out I had Shawn shave my head that night. He lovingly called me GI Jane. It actually wasn’t as traumatic as I thought it would be and we just had fun with it. Later on that night however I did something that I will never do again – I went to bed with my mascara on. I was SO tired that I didn’t even want to hassle with washing my face. I woke up around midnight and couldn’t open my left eye – I had pink eye (conjunctivitis)! I was able to get prescription eye drops the next day but unfortunately I woke up Saturday morning with pink eye in my other eye. Let’s just say I looked liked I belonged on a horror film with my two red eyes and shaved head. J I’m telling ya – having a sense of humor and being able to laugh helps me get through this. By Monday both eyes had cleared up and I was feeling much better.
Going back to Friday – my mom, the girls and I went to another wig shop (highly recommended by a friend) to get my wig. The first two we bought hadn’t worked out as well as we thought. Luckily Cathy the wig specialist we saw on Friday bought one of them off us and the second one we will donate to the American Cancer Society. The wig I got on Friday was perfect (thanks to my incredible parents)! It looked natural (as natural as a wig can lookJ), the color was really pretty, great style and very comfortable. Cathy was so sweet and gave the girls each a white visor with the pink breast cancer ribbon adorned with rhinestones. Pictures above! I included one of me with my short haircut since some of you were asking how I looked with short hair (there are more on FB). J
As of today most my hair has fallen out and I have peach fuzz for hair. My girls like to call me baby head and ask to see it so they can touch it. J Like I said above I am feeling pretty good (almost back to normal) but still taking it easy. I have to gear up to go back to chemo Tuesday. I saw my oncologist this week and she said the next two chemos will be rough but the last four should be easier since I will only be on one chemo drug versus the two I am currently on. That was encouraging to hear!
I continue to be blessed with all your prayers, concern, thoughtfulness, encouragement and support which I am so very thankful for! I also continue to rest in my heavenly Father’s comforting and healing arms so assured that He is with me every step of the way in my journey. Every day I put all my trust and hope in Him and I find ultimate peace during this challenging time. Thank you for being such amazing friends and family to me!!
Love,
Kelly
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